Co.K website

[KentuckyReb]

Well, it's up. Take a look and see what you think. Comment is certainly invited, as this is my first effort at such a thing and I'd welcome the input.

https://www.geocities.com/crosslands_rifles

Thanks much for any suggestions.

[JACKSONVC]

Re: Co.K website

Good Site!

If you have any letters, documents, etc.. of the 7th, post them on your site. They had a very interesting history. Any details about individual soldiers, pictures and the like are always excellent. Keep up the good work and let everyone know when you update.

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Co.K website

Good start. Now, feel free to drop me a line when you want to do the most common Civil War Kentucky impression, Authentic Federal Infantry (which out numbered Ky CS troops better than 5 to one). :wink_smil

Now I'm going to get a little something off my chest here regarding this modern love affair this state has with all things CS. Kentucky never succeeded and and was most definately staunchly pro union through almost the entire war, that is until the Federal government started making it known that they were planning on amending the constitution, at which time a decent portion of Kentuckians started to have some pro southern sentiments. Wow, so this state was pro union until the Gumint decided that human bondage was evil (one of the few good choiced made by any gumint) and decided to eliminate it. It doesn't look good on the citizenry of this state to this present day to fake southern rebel pride over what initially boils down to slavery.

Most of the reenactors I know that proudly thump their chest and proclaim they will not put on a blue suit are from this state, and if they were to go dig deep enough would more than likely find some ancestry that did indeed VOLUNTEER to wear blue, when it actually counted.

Now i will get off my soap box and will remain,
one of the few, the proud, the Kentucky Union reenactors.

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Co.K website

Preachin' to the choir, Clark. Not really telling me anything I didn't know regarding Kentucky's sympathies. I too get a little tired of the Yosemite Sam reenactor. We don't have any more use for the Lost Causers than you do--witness the 'Last Orders' page on the site. We are a Confederate outfit primarily, but the site is a work in progress--look for a page on there re: our Federal impression as soon as I can hammer it out. Probably put that up tonight, in fact, or at least this weekend. We're going through a transitional period at the moment. Our Federal impression right now was pretty much the brainchild of our old commander, an outfit from Iowa that some of his folks served in. Now I'm trying to decide between a company from the 7th Kentucky US or an Indiana outfit. But yeah, these '...great-great-great-Grandpappy Zebadiah would roll over in his grave...' types really jerk a knot in my shorts too. So we're definitely not Causers ourselves...we just like doing a Confederate impression primarily and a Federal sometimes. Thanks for looking.

[Michael Semann]

Re: Co.K website

That may be true of the Eastern KY boys Clark, but not where my ancestors called home I.E. WESTERN KY. We have always gone the way of Western Tennessee, and were for the most part staunchly pro South. There was a strong movement to part with the Union and the rest of Kentucky out here(starting in Mayfield, Graves County), until Tennessee did so, in which case we simply slipped over the border to enlist(close to 30,000 total, many from W. KY).

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Co.K website

That was the 7th's home area, Western Kentucky. Nobody seems to know exactly where Camp Burnett was--just 'a couple miles west of Clinton', apparently. We drove through the area on our way to Raymond in 2001, but job committments on the part of a lot of our guys (we were all in one vehicle, a van we rented for the trip) prohibited us from stopping and nosin' around on our way back. Like I said, we're not Causers, but I've got a lot of respect for those Kentucky Confederates. Well obviously, I guess. :D But I am working out a new Federal impression for us as we speak.

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Co.K website

Michael, I will beg to differ with you on that. There was a very strong pro Union sentiment running through western Kentucky. That realively smaller populated portion of the state provided a lot of union regiments, as did most of the other supposed "Confederate" areas. Using what many feel is the modern areas that are loosely included in Western Kentucky, which I don't neccesarily agree with, there were no fewer than 8 US cavalry regiments and 9 infantry regiments listed as forming in western Kentucky towns or counties, and I didn't include the various camps that units were listed as forming at unless I know for sure that it was located in the western area. Also I have seen at least 2 unpublished journals from western Kentucky civilians that in no doubt gave the distinct impression that the popular feeling AT THAT TIME, was pro union. Yes, the modern popular, "Urban legend", if you will, is that most Kentuckians were pro southern, well that is a myth. If you ever want to get run out of town on a rail, just go to any eastern or central Kentucky town and tell them that their ancestors fought for the Union (which they most likely did).

Also the States AG report (CS) list an aggregrate of appr. 42,000 Kentuckians as having served in all the CS services.

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Co.K website

Micah, don't get me wrong, I like studying Kentucky Confederates as well. In fact I've done lots more studying of Rebs than Unionist. My first 4 years I was one of those that didn't really want to wear blue unless I had too, but I finally realized, we seem to harbor more resentment than the vets did. And further realized that the "no blue suiters" were usualy the most moranic sounding of my comrades. Now I don't want to wear gray because I choose to portray the norm, not the exception. I could go on, but from here it's mostly opinion. Drop me a note privately if anyone wishes to discuss this particular issue further.

[Michael Semann]

Re: Co.K website

Clark, I am sure you are earnestly posting what you believe to be the consensus, in terms of information regarding the Jackson Purchase area of KY and it's sympathies during the war. I certainly don't wish this to appear to be an emotional issue in any way. Much of what you say certainly applies to other regions of KY, and small pockets within this area as well(Especially among the more recent Unionist German immigrants who settled here, and in Texas-my "other" home state. I'm 3/4th's German myself, from an earlier wave of immigration). I am sure you have heard the saying that "KY joined the Confederacy AFTER the war", this rings true for much of KY, and the South in general. Emotions can run high now, just about as fiercely as they did in 1861. However in this case, we are discussing events that happened in my very back yard, so to speak, and those of my, and virtually all of this region's ancestors.
It would be an understatement to say that local history, family and general, is more than a mere past time around here. I am sure you are aware that those in Kentucky are known as much by the region, and even more so, the county in which they reside, as much as they are by their statehood.
In my case, In addition to being a direct descendant of West Kentucky's earliest settlers in what is now Graves, Calloway, McCracken, Hickman, Fulton, Davis,and Marshall counties(1804 onward), I am fortunate to live in a community that counts among it's populace Greg Miller and Larry Daniel, both of whom are well versed in the history of the Jackson Purchase area of the state of Kentucky, and the Civil War in particular. Through their research (much of it published, and known to many of you), research done through MSU, and UK Bowling Green, Bardstown Museum, Graves and Calloway County Historical Societies, Columbus/Belmont State Park, Dr. Hiter and the Fort Heiman SCV, Ky Military Museum-Frankfort, and yes my own on a smaller scale, I can assure you that W. KY as a whole was very much in favor of splitting with the Union, particularly along the KY/TN border where we are located. Please do remember that the burden of Union occupation throughout much of the war caused many to suffer in silence, further exacerbated by bushwackers and vigilanties from both sides. This factor can never be ignored when studying this region's history and activities during the war. On a personal note, I had no less than 4 ancestors shot down by Unionist vigilantes in one form or another. Regarding my own family, 48 of my ancestors served in the Confederacy exclusively, as Officers and enlisted, most of them in the Orphan Brigade and with N. B. Forrest. These included the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, Inf, and the 2nd 11th, and 12th Cavalry.
As I mentioned(In spite of the short ancestral bio above-for added interest only), I am in no way taking this personally, but basing this solely on regional facts, figures, and surviving evidence. Both of the above mentioned historians have spent years gathering volumes of source material arguing this case. In fact, Mr. Miller is in the process of publishing a book on all known soldiers who served in the Confederacy from this region. It is not my aim to provide a bibliography of every source I have read in 30 years regarding this subject, or to re-fight the war within this forum.The amount of information on this topic is widely available via public sources to the degree that such listings are not within the scope of this post.
I would agree that figures such as 75,000 Union vs. *30,000 Confederate enlisted persons during the war ( *most commonly published %), not to mention civilian activities, suggests that Kentucky as a WHOLE was very much in favor of preserving the Union, simply not in this area.
By the way Micah, if you give me a few days, I can locate directions to the remains of Camp Burnett through Mr. Miller. He has done quite a bit of research on Camp Burnett, Beauregard, and Boone.
Clark, I see you are in Louisville, maybe we can get together and chew the fat sometime. Sounds like we are both more than a little interested in this fascinating theater of the war.

P.S. I reenact a Union impression about as often as I do Confederate and Civilian. :D

[Clark Badgett]

Re: Co.K website

Michael, I do know that there was southern sympathies in western Kentucky, as there were in the Louisville, and bluegrass regions. In fact most of the more prominent and educated families sent thier fathers, sons, and husbands into the Confederate service, but even areas now known for it's southern sympathies seemed to send out lots of boys in blue. That being said when I learned through my mother, who BTW is from Texas as well, that all her side of the family was from Logan, Todd and Christian counties (all on the TN border), I thought I had hit the SCV bingo. No dice, all but one turned out to be Union cavalrymen, and the one that is a possible CS cavalryman, joined a high numbered Tennessee cavalry unit in '63, that has only one muster sheet left as it's only surviving record. I need to take at trip back to Frankfort the the KyMHM, and see my buds there and get the actual numbers, and the CS organization listings to go with the complete set I've got for the US forces.

Yes I live in Louisville, but you can blame my wife for that :D I'm a Kentuckian, not a Louisvillian, and if you lived here you would know what I meant by that.

[Michael Semann]

Re: Co.K website

Yes I live in Louisville, but you can blame my wife for that I'm a Kentuckian, not a Louisvillian, and if you lived here you would know what I meant by that.

Clark, that is too funny! Yes I do know what you mean. :wink_smil

Your personal story somewhat parallels mine. While a young student at UTA, I assumed based on potted school text book history that Kentucky must have been relatively unanimous in it's support for the Union. Despite being A: A Southerner with roots going way back, B. an ardent student of History, including the Civil War, and C. knowledge of a few rebs in the attic, I really was indifferent to which side of the conflict my ancestors chose.

After delving deeper into my own family history, and consequently local Western Kentucky History, I found the opposite situation from yours.
And my ancestors must have been a cantankerous bunch, because try as I might, I have been unable to uncover any who fought for the Union. Now statistically speaking this seems almost impossible; never the less, to date, in spite of my research (some branches of my family tree have been traced back to the 1300), he/they have done a terrific job hiding from me.

Regarding source material, I think it must be mentioned that when researching the history of this locale, don't take too much credence in the opinion expressed in Northern run newspapers( as obviously most in this occupied area were). Much of it is propaganda (Sounds familiar today too, huh.), and one must make an effort to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. I have the personal diary of one of my ancestors; T.C. "Crit" Edwards, Captian of Co. G, 3rd KY who speaks of this very situation in 1863.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Re: Co.K website

Should I mention that I had family in....... a couple of Tennessee US units? :nerd:

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Co.K website

Michael, is that the 'T.C. Edwards' listed as the captain of Co.G of the 3rd? Buford's brigade? If so, do you have a copy of Henry George's book? While we're on the subject of areas with divided sympathies, I'm looking forward to nosin' around in the history of my Mom's side of the family. Her people were in the Asheville, NC area during the war.

[Kykeydet12]

Re: Co.K website

pards:
I'll bet I've probably seen the most of you at a reenactment and never relized it. I live around here in eastern kentucky. Boyd county, work with marshall steen , any of you heard of him? yeah i'll have to find you guys at a reenactment or something and talk to you , learning all this stuff online makes my eyes hurt, any of you guys going to hurricane ridge, west virginia in march to do the battle ?

[KentuckyReb]

Re: Co.K website

Perryville, at least up to this point, is pretty much the extent of our Kentucky events. I think the unit used to do Munfordville before I joined. Oh yeah, we also go to Sacramento to stretch out and relax and just have a little fun. Marshall Steen doesn't ring a bell, but I've only been doing this for about 4 years. Hurricane Ridge? New to me. Is there an event website?